Honey Beer Bread

This is a simple but very good recipe that anyone (over 21!) will be able to put together in less than 30 minutes. And if you’re not 21, I’m sure you can figure out a way to get it done. This bread involves no kneading, no yeast, no rise time, and bakes in less than an hour. Super good when you’re just craving those carbs. The melted butter gives a nice crunch to the edges, and the honey adds a bit of sweetness. It looks awesome, it smells amazing, and it will wow everyone at the next potluck you go to with very little effort on your part.

The best part about this recipe is that you can use any kind of beer in it, and it could be a lot of fun experimenting with different kinds. I’ve made this recipe with 2 different types of beer, and it definitely makes a big difference in terms of how the bread tastes.

My favorite so far has been bread with the Troublesome beer from Off Color Brewing here in Chicago. Malts include “Pils, Wheat Malt, Flaked Wheat, Flaked Oats” and secret ingredients include “Coriander and Lactobacillus.” Don’t ask me any hard questions about beer or “mouthfeel” because I can’t answer those. In fact, I’ll be completely honest and say that this was a beer I found in my boyfriend’s fridge, leftover from his ex-roommate. That is the extent of my knowledge about beer. I also tried making this bread with a different kind of beer found in his fridge, and it was still good, but not as great. Why? I don’t know.

Honey Beer Bread Recipe (adapted from here)

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey or agave nectar
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
4 tbsp (half stick) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a regular loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. The combination will be super fluffy and bubbly.

Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

This bread is uber-delicious straight out of the oven, but it’s also fine as lunch the day after. Make sure to store it in an air-tight contained so it doesn’t get stale and dry!